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By Caitlin Dickerson, Illustration: The Atlantic, The Atlantic, August 7, 2022 As a therapist for children who are being processed through the American immigration system, Cynthia Quintana has a routine that she repeats each time she meets a new patient in her office in Grand Rapids, Michigan: She calls the parents or closest relatives to let them know the child is safe and well cared for, and provides 24-hour contact information. This process usually plays out within hours of when the...

By Sara Tiano, The Imprint, August 3, 2022 Parents caught up in the child welfare system have to tell their stories to social worker investigators, lawyers and judges as they fight to keep their families together. But what happens when they share their stories with each other? A nationwide network serving parents who battle mental health challenges, substance abuse disorders and domestic violence shows regular participation in a support group may make all the difference. The groups are run...

To truly take an anti-racist approach to prevention, child welfare and safety net policies must address the organizational structures and injustices contributing to and perpetuating underlying economic and concrete needs of children and families. This brief from the Center for the Study of Social Policy, updated in July 2022, highlights policies that can make a significant impact for children and families when implemented as part of a multi-pronged approach to supporting the needs of...

Join Us... An Open Invitation to All Desiring Change to What Is Called Child Welfare October 3-6, 2022 The Kempe Center is excited to host the 2022 International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare. We will reconvene and expand the international community of practice with an expected 3000 participants from 20 countries gathering to debate, innovate, and discuss ways to transform child welfare and to re-imagine healthy, restorative, and healing ways of working with...

By Melissa Landrau, Rise Magazine, July 11, 2022 When I had an active ACS case, I had homemaking services—this involved a lady coming into my home from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and monitoring my children. I had no privacy. The homemaker would watch and feed my children. If I had to step out, she would accompany me. It was outrageous. I didn’t feel like I was the parent because she did everything for me. I would’ve rather had child care without someone in my home intruding and controlling...

Jenny Kane/AP By Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR.org Starting July 16, people in mental health crisis will have a new way to reach out for help. Instead of dialing the current 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline , they can simply call or text the numbers 9-8-8. Modeled after 911, the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional. "If you...

Register NOW to learn how to lead a book study of What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry, MD PhD, and Oprah Winfrey in your community! Learn how you can bring a book club on to your community and help inspire a desire to work together to create a more equitable society. Come hear lessons learned and tips about how you can use the Alliance’s book club guide in working with your community. Children’s Trust Fund Alliance (CFTA) will conduct this training on Wednesday, July 27, 3-5 p.m. ET.

New guidance from the federal government will make it easier for states to stop a controversial practice that, according to a 2021 NPR investigation , keeps impoverished families in debt when their child is placed into foster care. When children go into foster care, there's often a surprise for their parents: Many will get a bill from the state or county for "child support," to share the cost of their child's care. These parents, however, are almost always poor and struggle to pay. The added...

Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States , is a new report from ZERO TO THREE designed to reframe the role of child welfare from preventing harm to children toward strengthening families and the communities where they live. The policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance equitable outcomes supporting the health and well-being of very young children and their families, including those who are in or are at...

A factsheet from Child Welfare Information Gateway seeks to empower youth involved in the child welfare system to speak up about their feelings, wants and needs, questions and concerns, and aspirations. In doing so, youth can play an active role in the conversations and decision-making that directly affect them. The publication, Using Your Voice: A Guide for Youth on Participating in Case Planning , answers and expands upon the following questions: What is youth engagement? What is case...

By Alison Graham, Image: Heather Rousseau, The Roanoke Times , The Publication, July 10, 2022 Julia Jones spiraled when social services took her four children away. Her husband had just left her, both of her parents were dead and she felt like she had no one to ask for help. The social workers told her to take parenting classes and go to therapy, and she did. But to her, it seemed like the harder she tried to get her kids back, the farther away they got. So instead, she kept doing what she...

Just a gentle reminder of a great opportunity to hear from national presenter Ingrid Cockhren - CEO of PACES Connection and Dr. Tyra Turner Whittaker on the topics of minority mental health in honor of July as National Minority Mental Health month . This topic is so important every month, but this month we highlight the importance of providing culturally relevant support by welcoming and hosting these amazing experts. It's free so don't forget to register here for the link. A flyer is also...